Use of Third Generation Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) systems and LTE advanced (LTE-A) networks continues to increase quickly. In part this may be due to the penetration of user equipment (UE) such as smartphones and other data-intensive devices and applications into all parts of modern life. UEs that individually consume significant amounts of bandwidth (through the use of streaming video and other bandwidth-intensive applications) are, however, not the only types of device that swallow network resources. The introduction and exceedingly rapid surge in use of low bandwidth devices, in particular Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs used in the Internet of Things (IoT), has continued to increase the demand for spectrum. Examples of MTC UEs include sensors (e.g., sensing environmental conditions) or microcontrollers in appliances or vending machines. MTC UEs pose a particular challenge for communication networks and device manufacturers as it is typically desired for such UEs to be low cost and low power, leading to UEs that are less computationally powerful and have less power for communication.
Spectrum has accordingly become more and more of a premium. However, while reducing spectrum usage may desirable, maintaining user experience and network access may also be taken into account. It would be therefore desirable to provide a network protocol that would enable reduced communication complexity for UEs.